Jason Momoa has exited the live-action Helldivers movie.
Deadline reported that the Game of Thrones alum is no longer attached to the video game-to-movie adaptation today. The casting change was corroborated by The Hollywood Reporter, which will send Sony on the hunt to find a replacement as it dives toward its previously announced release date of November 10, 2027.
Why Momoa decided to depart the Helldivers movie is unclear. It’s a shakeup that delivers quite the setback for the Sony film, which Deadline says is “still very much alive.”
Sony announced its Helldivers movie in January 2025, promising to eventually bring the battle for Super Earth to the big screen. It was a movie update that followed the enormous success of Helldivers 2, which quickly became one of PlayStation’s most successful franchises upon its launch in February 2024.
While the game developers at Arrowhead Studios have found themselves struggling to keep players happy in recent months, work on the movie has charged forward. The studio confirmed it would be involved in the project shortly after its reveal and, in December, it was announced that Fast and Furious veteran Justin Lin had boarded as director.
Momoa didn’t go on to join until February of this year. The film is being produced by Hutch Parker, with Asad Qizilbash producing via PlayStation Productions and Lin producing via Perfect Storm Entertainment. Lin is also still directing as the Aquaman actor makes his exit, though there’s no clear indication of who will fill the leading role in his absence.
While we wait for Sony to find a new face to lead the Helldivers to victory, you can see what Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani had to say about the film’s director. You can also read about PlayStation’s plans to bring Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and Bloodborne to new mediums.
Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
